Emerging consumer services such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) present a unique opportunity to service providers (SPs), as large markets open up in a relatively short time. Larger service providers may have a number of advantages when a new service is introduced to consumers, since they may bundle services with products. For example, Vonage (a VoIP service provider) sells its VoIP services bundled with a Linksys product that is pre-configured exclusively for Vonage. The service provider-specific device is sold to consumers through retail or other channels.
By contrast, smaller service providers generally are not able to bundle their services with Internet service devices (where herein the phrase “Internet service device” refers to a device (or a portion of a device) configured to provide one or more services via an established Internet connection, rather than to provide and/or establish the Internet connection). To subscribe to a service provided by a smaller service provider, a subscriber may need to purchase a non-bundled Internet service device, select a service provider, and then perform an installation process to configure the device to contact the service provider's configuration server.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a process 100 a subscriber may perform to select a service provider after the purchase of a non-bundled Internet service device.
At 110, a subscriber may register with a selected service provider. For example, the subscriber may access a subscription server for the selected service provider via browser access of the Internet. At 120, the service provider associates the subscriber Internet service device with the subscriber identity. One common mechanism for associating the subscriber identity with the identity of the particular Internet service device is for the subscriber to provide the serial number of the device during registration.
At 130, the service provider configures the Internet service device to contact the service provider configuration server. One method that may be used is http redirection, where the subscriber's http request is redirected to the Internet service device's private IP address, with a URL (uniform resource locator) that includes the service provider configuration server location. The Internet service device and the configuration server may then communicate.
A process such as process 100 of FIG. 1 is generally more difficult and complicated than installing an Internet service device pre-configured for a particular service provider. Since ease of installation and use is an important factor for many consumers, larger service providers may enjoy an appreciable advantage in the marketplace.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.